The South Bayview Bulldog

According to the civil service budget chief Stephen LeClair, Ontario will be in even “worse” financial shape after the Wynne government sells off part of Hydro One.  LeClair says the writing is on the wall. “In the years following the sale of 60 per cent of Hydro One, the province’s budget balance would be worse than it would have been without the sale.”  At present, the Ontario debt is closing in on $300 billion and is said to be the largest non-sovereign debt in the world. Spectator 

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has hired an Air Canada executive to take over as the company’s new president and chief executive officer. CTV

Dr. Bradley Lands and wife Jennifer with their children

South Bayview Orthodontist Bradley Lands has an inventive Halloween idea which pay kids for their extra candy collected on October 31 and also supports the Trace Manes Park Project in memory of Georgia Walsh. Dr. Lands calls it The Halloween Candy Buy Back. Parents and children sort their sugary loot and decide what to keep. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 3 and 4, 2015, they visit Dr. Land’s office on the fifth floor at 1670 Bayview Ave. (at Hillsdale) and redeem the candy at $5 a pound. Don’t worry, the candy will be contributed to Sarah’s Food Drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Here’s the best part. Dr. Lands will match every dollar paid to kids with his own donation to the Trace Manes Park Project. This is an ambitious plan to re-make the playground at Trace Manes. For every dollar paid to kids, Dr. Lands will match it with a donation to the playground fund. They need a million dollars so there lots of work to be done.  What the new splashpad might look like 

There was a good turnout of residents, parishioners and interested parties at Manor Road United Church Wednesday night to hear about changes to the 90-year-old place of worship and community hub. As has been reported, the easterly half of the church’s property has been sold to the City as a public park. The sale was deemed the best solution to tightening conditions for the church. It is believed the investment of the proceeds will sustain Manor Road well into the future. The sale of the land will require the demolition of the large gymnasium building to the east. It has accommodated many church activities as well as the Montessori school in the basement. To make up for this loss, the original church will be renovated to accommodate sacred services in the sanctuary as well as meeting spaces, a kitchen and washrooms. The old pews will be removed and moveable chairs will be purchased for all seating. The chairs will be stored when the church holds public events such as its pancake breakfast and fall fair. (Those pews might be hot items for collectors of church furniture).

REVEREND SCHNEIDER

The gathering heard from Reverend Debra Schneider who said she would miss the gymnasium as the scene of so many happy events. She recalled that it was built through the efforts of the community and it seemed suitable she said that the land be returned to the community in the form of a park. The reverend asked that residents support the church at a Committee of Adjustment meeting set for December 2, 2015, required by certain minor variances. Reverend Schneider particularly thanked parishioner Neil Jacoby, chair of the church’s redevelopment committee for his informed assistance during negotiations. The meeting heard from architect Janet Harrison. She set out the changes to doors and walkways. Also present was Josh Matlow (Ward 22) who advised the church and assisted in the sale of the land to the City, and MP-designate Rob Oliphant,. newly-elected in the riding of Don Valley West, and a United Church Minister.

The City has issued a notice that some raccoons have become infected with the canine distemper virus (CDV). It says the virus is present in the raccoon population but at low levels. Distemper cases in raccoons tend to spike in the fall. It says that raccoons with distemper may approach people, or curl up to sleep in open areas in close proximity to people. They generally act disoriented or lethargic, but can become aggressive if cornered, and may have seizures. CDV is a viral disease affecting animals in the canine families, in addition to some other mammals. It affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems. Raccoons, dogs and skunks can be infected. The disease is most often fatal and animals that recover may display permanent neurological damage. The notice says there is no risk to human health although it is not stated what injury may occur from an aggressive animal. Dogs that have not been vaccinated for distemper can become infected if they come in contact with a raccoon with this viral disease. Residents are asked not to approach or feed raccoons. Instead, if they notice a raccoon displaying abnormal behaviour, they should contact Toronto Animal Services at 416-338-PAWS (7297).

Here is a study that finds Toronto City Councillors vote “no” much more often than councillors in cities like Ottawa and Hamilton. The think tank Manning Centre says Toronto Councillors take four times as long debating items as those others places and vote no 11.2 percent of the time compared to 0.1 percent in those other places. Are they awake? Okay that’s unfair but it is not necessarily a bad a thing that we get a goodly number of no votes. Some of the ideas are really bad. CP24

The South Carolina cop who upended a desk and dragged a misbehaving student out of the classroom has been fired.  Authorities said deputy Ben Fields, was dismissed after an internal investigation concluded that he had violated department standards. See it here. 

Since November 2014, police have responded to reports of thefts of gas in the city’s east end. An investigation has uncovered a security camera image of the man believed to be responsible. He is described as white, with dark hair, 35-40, 6’0″, 180-200 lbs. He is driving a dark, possibly grey, Mazda 3. He may be using various Ontario licence plates, including BTSJ 194 and BSXV 201.  Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-4300, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.

Here is a hilarious study from Oxford University that has concluded that when it comes to touching a stranger, it is best to err on the side of caution. No kidding. The above CNN episdode on kissing, and air kissing, is fun too. Below is part of a so-called Guide to Touching that purportedly shows how prepared we are, men and woman, to be touched by various levels of relatives and friends or strangers. Not sure about some of this but you can look at it here.

Residents filled the William Lea Room to near capacity Tuesday night to hear both the City Planner and the developer of the property known as 939 Eglinton Ave. E.  As many as 30 people made comments and asked questions about the five-acre site on the southwest corner of Eglinton and Brentcliffe Road. Questions centred on traffic, schools and what many said will be a hopelessly overloaded LRT when it is completed in 2021. The developers are Diamond Corporation in partnership with Dawsco Corporation, the land’s owner. Dawsco has operated a shopping mall on Brentcliffe between  Eglinton and Vanderhoof Ave. for many years.

A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS

It is by any measure an enormous proposal. Councillor Jon Burnside called it the “Big Daddy of them all.” He said the development will set the tone for what happened to the west at the Leaside Centre property owned by Rio.Can and to the east on the property occupied by Staples and other big box stores. Mr. Burnside lamented the failure of the City to properly study the area as was called for in its flossy Eglinton Connex study of 2013. There was no money but the Councillor said his continuing efforts  had finally yielded results and such a “drilling down” into traffic conditions at the site will be done. But it was not clear just how much value it will have in assessing 939 Eglinton. He called the study “a little bit of good news.”

CLASSROOMS IN A CONDO?

The plan itself is quite staggering. It is a  project worthy of Burnside’s Big Daddy description. Four condo towers of 19, 20, 31 and 34 storeys plus a mid-rise multi-use building on Eglinton of maybe eight storeys and a new private road to separate less intense commercial activity the south. There would be a mid-rise office building and a park. Under heavy questioning about how the  school board would manage the influx of kids, CEO Steve Diamond said his firm has had talks with the Toronto and District School Board (TDSB) about classrooms or a school (it wasn’t quite clear) in the condos somewhere. It was getting on in the evening and this bit of information was treated quite scornfully by the residents.

HOW HIGH?

The mood started to go downhill during a description of  the development by architect Sol Wassermuhl  In a detailed description of the site he neglected to state that the towers to the south were to be 31  and 34. It was only when Mr. Wassermuhl was asked the specific heights of these two towers that he said they were 31 and 34 and added he was sorry for forgetting that. The information is public but the meeting took this slip quite badly. It isn’t clear just why it happened but ratepayers can be unforgiving of mistakes. The development is at an early stage and Mr. Diamond was hopeful that a final version could be agreed upon in meetings with the City. He said that he did not wish to find himself at the OMB and that his firm has not resorted to that in the past.